United's Mileage Plus program is pretty iffy for getting tickets for domestic or international, but one great thing about it is the ability to use miles for goo

United's Mileage Plus program is pretty iffy for getting tickets for domestic or international, but one great thing about it is the ability to use miles for goods, gift cards, etc. I've cashed in expiring or insufficient miles more times than I can count for all kinds of useful kitchen items, power tools, and once a pretty nice watch (Citizen Eco-drive). I've found other U.S. airlines are better on reward travel but not as good on other uses ... unless you really like magazine subscriptions.